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Objective@#To investigate the differences in frequency and function of natural killer cells (NK) between chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and acute hepatitis B (AHB).@*Methods@#Patients with AHB and those with CHB in immune active (IA) phase were enrolled. The frequencies of NK, CD56dimNK, CD56brightNK and the expression of functional molecules IFNAR2 and NKp46 on the surface of NK cells were detected respectively among patients with CHB in IA phase, patients with AHB, and those recovered from AHB. At the same time, their correlations with ALT, HBV DNA and HBV markers were analyzed.@*Results@#Between IA and AHB, the frequencies of NK cells and NKp46dim NK cells in AHB cases were significantly lower than those in IA cases, but the frequency of NKp46high NK cells in AHB was higher than that in IA. For patients who recovered from AHB, the frequency of NK cells and NKp46dim NK cells increased; the varied ranges of frequencies of CD56dimNK, IFNAR2+ NK and NKp46+ NK cells were on the rise, while the frequency of NKp46high NK cells decreased after the recovery from AHB, and the varied ranges of CD56brightNK and IFNAR2MFI, NKp46MFI decreased. In AHB, HBVDNA loads were positively correlated with ALT levels. Before and after the recovery of AHB: ΔHBV DNA and ΔALT, Δ NK/LY (%) were positively correlated; ΔALT and ΔNKp46highNK/NK(%), ΔNKp46MFI, ΔIFNAR2MFI were positively correlated.@*Conclusions@#In CHB immune active phase, the activity of peripheral blood NK cells was too weak to remove the virus, but NK cells play an important role in eliminating the viruses and mediating liver tissue inflammation in AHB.
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Objective@#To investigate the differences in function of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) and CD4+ T helper cells (CD4+ Th cells) between acute hepatitis B (AHB) and chronic hepatitis B (CHB).@*Methods@#In this study, patients with AHB and those with CHB in immune active (IA) phase were enrolled. The frequencies of pDC, CD86+ pDC, CD4+ T cells and their subsets, surface functional molecules were detected respectively among patients with chronic HBV infection in IA phase, patients with AHB, those recovered from AHB. Meanwhile, their correlations with ALT, HBV DNA and HBV markers were analyzed.@*Results@#The ALT level in AHB was significantly higher than that in IA, and inflammation was more obvious in AHB. Between IA and AHB, CD86+ pDC frequency and the mean fluorescence intensity of functional molecule CD86 (CD86MFI) were higher in IA than those in AHB, but the frequency of CD4+ T cells in AHB was higher than that in IA. For patients who got over AHB, the frequency of CD86+ pDC increased; Th1 were on the rise, while the frequencies of CD4+ T and Th2 decreased after the recovery of AHB, and Th2 / Th1 ratio decreased..In AHB, HBVDNA loads were positively correlated with ALT levels and Th2 frequencies.@*Conclusions@#In CHB immune active phase, CD86+ pDC with stimulating function played an important role, but the cellular immune response of CD4+ T cells decreased. In AHB inflammatory stage, CD4+ T cells played a strong cellular immune response, which result ed in viral clearance. Th2 cells regulation of CD4+ T cells played a dominant role, which was involved in the inflammatory response, and the cytotoxic role of Th1 cells during the recovery period was dominant, playing a strong cellular immune response, then the virus were completely eliminated.
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Objective@#To elucidate the functions of peripheral blood NK cells in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with interferon.@*Methods@#Venous whole blood samples were obtained from patients in the immune clearance (IC) phase treated with peg-interferon-alpha-2a (Peg-IFNα-2a) at baseline (t=0), 12 weeks (t=12) and 24 weeks (t=24). The frequencyies of peripheral blood CD3-CD56+ NK cells, CD56brightNK cells and CD56dimNK cells, the expression level of IFNAR2 and NKp46 on NK cells were detected by flow cytometry. The levels of serum HBV DNA, HBsAg, HBeAg and ALT were detected by Ditan Hospital clinical laboratory.@*Results@#Forty-one patients in the IC phase treated with Peg-IFNα-2a, including 21 poor response (PR) patients and 20 good response (GR) patients, were recruited for this study. Theresult were as follows: The frequency of peripheral blood CD3-CD56+ NK cells was increased at week 24 in GR compared with the baseline(11.74, 5.69%-18.15% vs 13.7, 9.36-20.18%, P>0.05), and it also was increased in PR(8.94, 6.26%-14.15% vs 12.5, 7.64-16.55%, P>0.05). The frequency of peripheral blood CD56brightNK cells was increased at week 24 in GR compared with the baseline(9.49, 6.2%-12.48% vs 12.98, 7.75%-20.93%, P>0.05), and it also was increased in PR(11.45, 8.27%-19.13% vs 17.52, 12.3%-22.42%, P=0.0239). The expression level of NKp46 on NK cells was significantly increased at week 24 in GR compared with the baseline(90.55, 83.8-94.78 vs 93.8, 92.28-96.4, P=0.0263), but it was not increased in PR(95, 90.6-96.15 vs 94.3, 92.1-95.6, P>0.05). The expression level of NKp46high on NK cells was significantly increased at week 24 in GR compared with the baseline(12.4, 8.58-19.08 vs 39.3, 23.15-49.3, P=0.0011), at that range of the increase was significantly higher than PR(14.2, 9.78-17.65 vs 27.58, 19.13-36.56, P=0.006).@*Conclusions@#The frequencies of peripheral blood CD3-CD56+ NK cells and CD56brightNK cells were increased from patients in the IC phase treated with Peg-IFNα-2a. The expression level of NKp46 on NK cells was increased in GR patients treated with Peg-IFNα-2a. The expression level of NKp46high on NK cells was significantly increased, especially in GR patients treated with Peg-IFNα-2a.
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Objective@#The pathogenesis of HBV infection is the result of a complex interactions between the host immune system and the virus, the host immune system involves innate immune and adaptive immune. Now, it is thought that host immune responses to viral particles and proteins are important factors that determine whether HBV is cleared or persists and hepatocytes injured. Innate immune system is the first defending line of host against viral infection. However, many studies have shown that HBV can develop tactics to escape innate immune recognition and interfere with innate immune signaling pathways and induce immunosuppression. It is necessary to analysis the functions and status of host innate immunity in HBV infection which may contribute to find novel approaches to eliminate HBV. This review will present the current understanding of innate immune components including pattern-recognition receptors(PRRs)、dendritic cells(DCs)、natural killer(NK)/natural killer T(NKT)cells、T regulatory cells(Tregs) and interferons(IFNs).